A Nightime Run
by jlgirl10
Summary: Mac gets more than she bargained for when she goes for a late night run. H/M
1. Chapter 1

Mac breathed heavily as her weary feet pounded against the hard road. Her Ipod blasted "I'm Not Ready to Make Nice" in her ears and fueled her to continue.

Mac was so frustrated and angry about the way her case was going. She was defending a Marine accused of killing her husband who had allegedly been abusing her. Harm was prosecuting and refused to even discuss cutting her client a deal.

It didn't help that Renee showed up unexpectedly to take Harm to lunch just as Mac was getting somewhere. She almost had him, and then that _woman_ waltzed in and demanded all of his attention.

Coupled with Mic constant pressuring her at home to get married, Mac needed some alone time. So here she found herself at ten o'clock at night on a Tuesday running to try to clear her mind.

It wasn't working. This case was personal for the Colonel. The Marine had two young children who needed their mother now more than ever. Harm was not being reasonable and then that _blonde princess_ had to get involved and put in her comments.

FLASHBACK (in Harm's office)

_"Mac, there is no evidence to support the abuse."_

_"Harm, there is no way that woman is making this up. Have you seen her? She jumps every time a man enters the room."_

_"That doesn't mean anything, Mac. And besides, what happened to your 'all Marines are tough' theory?"_

_"Corporal Wilkes is tough. She just hid her injuries a little too well and now that is being used against her."_

_"Listen, you bring me something and we can talk, but as it stands now, she didn't tell a soul what was going on, if there was anything going on."_

_"She was too scared!"_

_"She's a Marine, Mac. Her husband was an accountant-"_

_"Oh, please-"_

_"All I'm saying is that she could have physically taken the guy!"_

_"Oh, like you would know!"_

_"And now we're back to all men are evil! Stop making these cases personal, Mac!"_

_"How can I not when this woman is obviously a victim of-"_

_"Knock, knock!" Renee cleared her throat uncomfortably._

_The two officers finally realized that their argument had turned into a slight shouting match. Looking beyond the petite woman at the door, they discovered that most of the office was staring at them._

_Renee broke the momentary silence by jealously half-joking, "Well, I didn't realize how passionate your arguments got. Why don't you two just get a room next time?"_

_Harm crossed the room to embrace her, "What are you doing here, Renee? We didn't have anything scheduled did we?"_

_"No, I just thought I would surprise you and take you to lunch, handsome. I didn't expect to enter a war zone, though."_

_Mac shifted awkwardly and abruptly announced, "We'll talk about this later, Harm," and just to be polite on her way out, "Nice seeing you again Renee."_

_Mac ignored the false smile plastered across the blonde's face as she left._

END FLASHBACK

Mac's skin crawled at the recollection. She missed the days when life was simple before she was transferred to JAG, back when it was just her and her dog.

'_Oh no! I forgot to give Jingo his medicine. I hope Mic remembered.'_

She knew he wouldn't, though. Deciding that this run had lasted long enough, she turned to start heading back.

A bright light blinded Mac's eyes and she suddenly felt like a deer in headlights. Before she could process the situation, something slammed into her abdomen. She felt as though she was flying through the night sky until the harsh reality of rough pavement was under her.

She couldn't feel anything, nothing at all. This briefly scared her until she realized what had happened. Now, the car had come to a screeching halt and the driver was exiting the vehicle. Mac looked down at her tangled body and swore as she saw her mangled leg.

It was all she could do to focus on staying conscious. The adrenaline hadn't worn off thankfully, so she was still numb. Mac recognized the diver as male as he approached her. Her vision was blurring, but she thought that maybe he was thirty or so.

He asked her something, but she couldn't piece the sounds into words in her head. She tried to talk, but her mouth wouldn't cooperate.

The man started to touch her and Mac panicked. _'What is he saying? What does he think he's doing?'_

"I'm a doctor, ma'am. Please remain still. It'll be alright."

Mac barely registered the words as black edged her vision.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you Jag Fan! I have corrected the error now in chapter one. Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**

CHAPTER 2

Mac's eyes slowly fluttered open. The lights were dim and she felt a thin mattress beneath her. The room was filled with the smell of antiseptics. Mac tried to cough, but something was blocking her throat.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a young nurse checking a machine by her bed. Mac attempted to speak yet that same something still prevented it. She began to move her hands to get the nurse's attention, but she jerked too quickly and felt something pull from her arm.

This finally grabbed the nurse's attention and she swiftly moved to correct the issue. Reinserting what Mac now saw was an IV, the nurse explained, "Ms. Mackenzie, you're in the ICU. Don't try to talk; you're on a respirator to help you breathe. This IV is keeping fluids in you. Would you like to try to write?"

Mac nodded her head 'yes' as much as she could. The petite nurse gave her a pen and held out a clipboard for her to write on. Mac's vision was limited because of the respirator and she couldn't see what she was writing.

When she was finished, the nurse studied the paper for a moment before showing Mac what she had written. It was full of scribbles.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Mackenzie, but I can't read this," she gave Mac a soothing look and tried to cheer her up, "Your fiancée has been here day and night since you were brought in. You're very lucky; he kept you alive until the ambulance came…" She went on talking while she worked, checking this or that on Mac.

Mac's confusion grew as she caught snippets of the nurse's ramblings, _'Day and night? How long have I been here?'_

"…and a doctor to boot! He must be hard to hang onto! I know if I could keep a man as devoted as your fiancée is to you…"

_'What is she talking about? Mic's not a doctor.'_

"…and don't be alarmed if you can't feel your leg; we've put you on a morphine drip. It was basically shattered, but you had an excellent surgeon to put it back together…"

Mac was getting the impression that maybe this nurse wasn't the most tactful. It was almost as though the nurse needed to fill the quiet by being a Chatty Cathy, not that Mac minded however. She was getting very useful, if puzzling, information.

"…okay, now I'm going to reposition your leg a little big, so you may experience some discomfort…"

After a few seconds, Mac thought, _'Holy Mother of…this is _not_ discomfort! This is _pain_!"_

Mac once again awakened in a hospital room; however, it was not the one she recognized from her earlier encounter. The lights were brighter here and she was no longer hooked up to a ventilator.

Surveying the immediate area, Mac noticed a strange figure slumped over the edge of her bed. Lifting her fingers, she gently ran a few fingertips over his unfamiliar curly locks.

She cleared her throat, noting how good it felt to not be on the ventilator, and attempted to speak, "Sir? Um, excuse me?" Her throat was dry and raspy, but it did the trick.

The man began stirring and lifted his dark locks off the bed. His deep green eyes connected with hers for a moment before he realized the significance of the situation.

He quickly broke the gaze and Mac wondered if she had seen guilt in his eyes. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be here."

He practically flew from his chair and Mac knew she had to do something, "Wait! Please…I need some answers."

The man turned back to her and slowly retraced his steps, "You're right, I'm sorry. My name is Mark Bryant. I'm the one who ran you over Tuesday night."

His bluntness startled Mac, but she liked it, "Can you get me some ice chips?"

Surprise showed on Mark's face, clearly having expected her yell at him or kick him out. He obeyed, though, and Mac was thankful for the cool relief the ice brought to her throat.

"How long have I been here?" Mac was sure it probably was crazy to be making conversation with the man who put her in the hospital, but she needed some things filled in for her and thought he would be obligated to help.

Mark wrung his hands nervously, most likely not knowing what to expect from Mac, but sat down and went with her lead, "A week. They took you off the ventilator at three days and just moved you out of the ICU two days ago. They also stopped sedating you."

Mac processed this, "Has anyone contacted my fiancée or boss?"

Mark's face reddened in embarrassment. "Well, uh, you see-"

Mark was cut off by another man's voice, "Ah, Ms. Mackenzie, you're awake," the older man, obviously a doctor, acknowledged Mark, "And I'm happy to see that you've finally gotten some sleep Dr. Bryant. It seems your lovely fiancée will be needing you well rested now that she's up."

Mac's eyes grew wide at this, but the doctor went on before she could interrupt.

"You're very lucky to be alive, Ms. Mackenzie. Dr. Bryant is to thank for that," he smiled at Mark. "Your left leg is broken in six places, but should heal in six to eight weeks. The good news is that the damage to your kidneys was not severe, but your abdomen sustained quite a bit of bruising and swelling.

"There was also some internal bleeding that we took care of. The big danger was the head damage, but your CT came back clean. You have a fractured skull that had major swelling, which thankfully we managed to reduce significantly. We are going to run some more tests to make sure that there will not be any long-term mental deficits.

"But all in all, you should be just fine in a couple of months, Ms. Mackenzie."

Mark sighed audibly in relief, while Mac took all of her injuries in. A beeper went off and the doctor excused himself.

Now just the two of them, Mac wanted to revisit the whole 'fiancée' comment. "So you're my fiancée now? Did I miss something, or do I have some memory loss, too?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews guys! As far as length of the chapters, sorry but the ones I've written are pretty much the same length. As far as how long the story is, well, this might be bad, but I haven't written all of it yet lol!**

CHAPTER 3

That same flush began creeping up Mark's neck. He stuttered for a moment before formulating a satisfactory answer.

"Well, you see, I rode with you to the hospital and then they took you off to surgery right away. A nurse asked me my relation to you, because some decisions concerning your care would have to be made. And I know it was wrong, but being a doctor myself, I knew someone needed to decide things quickly or it would be too late. So I told them we were getting married." Mark hung his head, waiting for Mac's reply.

The Marine thought this over, "And did you ever think that your choices might have been different from the ones my family would have chosen?"

"Well, no I guess not. I didn't see a ring on your finger or any pictures in your wallet, so I just assumed that my answers would be right."

Mac asked, slightly angry at the privacy invasion, "You went through my purse?"

Mark was quick to clarify, "Just to see about family, your name, if you were a donor…that kind of stuff."

Now came a loaded question, "What happened with the accident?"

Mark took a deep breath, "I've been over and over it in my head for a week and I just don't know how to properly explain it…"

THe Marine took over, "Try."

"Okay…I was driving home from the hospital and noticed you jogging, so I thought I would go around you. I signaled into the other lane, but a car turned onto the road and was coming right at me. I tried to get back into the right lane without getting too close to you. My cell phone rang and for just a second I took my eyes off the road to answer it. By the time I looked back up, you had turned around and I couldn't stop the car in time…" Mark sniffled a little and Mac wondered if he was tearing up.

"And then what happened?"

He composed himself, "I jumped out of the car and tried to talk to you, but you became unconscious. I called 911, stopped the visible bleeding, and gave you CPR until the ambulance arrived."

Mac knew that she should be furious with this man, but his compassion for not leaving her and his sincere guilt prevented her from wanting him prosecuted.

"Alright, Dr. Bryant. So it truly was an innocent accident?" He nodded, "And what's this about you being here day and night?"

His sea green eyes met hers again and she felt something not altogether unpleasant, "I couldn't leave you…not after what I did, not after putting you here. I know I should have contacted your real family after I knew it would be okay, but-" Mark stopped himelf.

Intrigued with this honest man, Mac urged him to continue, "Yes?"

"I…I just couldn't leave you. I know it's crazy, but I feel like I know you."

"That is crazy," Mac smiled at him to soften her statement. Suddenly, she realized that Mark Bryant could be anybody. He could be a serial killer for all she knew, but Mac trusted her gut and her gut was telling her that this was a man to trust.

"I will, of course, pay all of your medical bills and whatever else you require."

Mac made up her mind, "That's fair. In case you were worried, I won't be pressing charges."

Mark looked shocked, relieved, and even guiltier all at the same time. "Please…you don't have to do that."

"You don't strike me as the kind of man, Dr. Bryant, to make a habit of hitting people."

He assured, "No, no, this is the only time…"

"But you will pay _all_ medical expenses."

"Yes, yes, of course."

Mac nodded, satisfied with the arrangement, "Alright then, why don't you let me get some rest and make some calls. Everyone must be very worried about me by now."

Mark got up to leave, "Ms. Mackenzie, again, I'm so sorry."

"Come back tomorrow and we'll work out details." Mac waved and strangely, she felt like she would miss Dr. Bryant.

--

Having called the Admiral and Mic, Mac was now debating whether or not to call Harm. They hadn't been on the best terms lately and while she knew he cared, she wasn't sure she was ready to face him. He was still her only best friend, though. Throwing caution to the wind, Mac decided she needed to call him.

She dialed the number and heard the phone ring twice. Renee answered, "Hello?"

_'Great,'_ thought Mac, '_just what I wanted to deal with.' _

"May I speak with Harm, please?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line and then Renee guessed, "Mac?"

Rolling her eyes, Mac replied, "Yes, this is she. Is he around?"

Renee harrumphed, "After the crap you put him through this week, I don't think so."

Mac's indignant anger flared. After all, what right did this lady have to keep her from her best friend. "Excuse me, but I think that should be _his_ decision."

"Listen, he's put up with a lot of crap from you lately, but I'm not going to let you hurt him anymore-"

"You're not going to 'let' me? Harm's a big boy, Renee. I'm sure he doesn't need you to fight his battles." In the back of Mac's mind played, _'You have no idea what I've been through this week.'_

Renee gave a resentful snort, and then in a voice that made it clear she was going to do anything but, she replied, "Whatever, Mac. Listen, he's not here but I can tell him you called."

Mac gritted her teeth restrained herself, "You do that. Goodbye."

When she placed the phone back on its receiver, Mac sighed. She didn't have the energy to fight with Renee right now.

A few minutes later, Mic rushed in to reunite with Sarah. She explained the circumstances and he called her insane for not pressing charges, but she made it clear that she felt this was the right thing to do and it was ultimately her decision.

Mic, as he had many times before, begged her to marry him right then and there. This time, after her near-death experience, Mac thought about it seriously. He stayed with her through the night.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I am SO sorry! I went on vacation and thought that I had already posted this. Please forgive me if I still have any readers lol...Thank you all for reading and reviewing!**

CHAPTER 4

As sunlight peeked in through her hospital blinds the next morning, Mac was anxious. Her conversation with Renee last night was replaying through her head.

_'Have I really hurt him? Is she right to keep me away?'_

Mic's proposal had also troubled her.

_'Am I ready to get married, or am I just freaking out because of the accident? Am I really sure that Mic is the right man? What if I hurt him, too?'_

The Admiral had approved her medical leave and Mac bleakly thought that she would have a lot more time to think about her actions.

She absently ran a thumb over her bare ring finger. The clock on the wall ticked by seven o'clock and Mac looked across the room at her potential husband. Unlike Dr. Bryant, Mic had foregone resting his head on her bed and instead sprawled out on the hospital's recliner.

She hated to have to wake him up; they both had been up late comparing stories. After everything had been sorted out, Mic still had not wanted to sleep for fear of her disappearing again while he dreamt. While Mac thought this was very caring of him, it also meant that she couldn't sleep either because he was staring at her.

Mac felt extremely fortunate to have someone like Brumby to care for her in her life. But did that mean she loved him? She wasn't sure. This was her ultimate dilemma when it came to Michael Brumby. _'Do I love him? Am I in love with him?'_

Deciding to get out of this line of thought, Mac softly whispered, "Mic, seven a.m. Time to get up."

When this didn't awaken Sleeping Beauty, Mac chucked her pillow at him, "Wakey wakey, eggs and baky, Mic."

The Australian turned over and smiled at her. "Never were very subtle, huh darling?"

By way of explanation, she told him, "I'm a Marine, dear."

His smile widened and then he pouted, "I'm sorry I have to go in to work today."

Mac assured him with a teasing smile, "It's okay. I'll be fine for a few hours."

"I'm just wrapping a few things up and then I'll be right back."

"I understand, really," Mac knew why he was really hesitant to leave. "I'm not going anywhere, Mic."

He leaned over and gently brushed her lips, "I know, darling, I just hate to be away from you. But don't worry, the Admiral has already granted me a few days off to be with you."

Mac wasn't sure how much of a help Mic would be, but instead of voicing her concerns she just smiled and waved goodbye. She needed time to think about everything and make some decisions. She couldn't do that if -God love him- Mic was being a mother hen to her.

Sighing, Mac laid back and attempted more sleep. It was too early to be this awake, she decided.

Mac yawned loudly and stretched her lazy muscles. Sluggishly opening one eye, she was surprised to meet a familiar face staring back at her.

Immediately straightening up, Mc greeted her guest, "Hello, Admiral."

A warm smile spread across his face, "Glad to see you're awake, Colonel. I just stopped by to see how you were doing. I met with Mic yesterday and he informed me of the situation. We were all very worried about you."

"My apologies, Admiral. Thank you for your concern, sir."

Admiral Chegwidden snorted, "Mac, we're in your hospital room for goodness sakes. You don't have to be so damn formal."

Mac smiled easily, "Sorry, sir."

He spoke seriously, "We, everyone at JAG, are very glad that you are okay, Mac."

She was touched by his evident caring, "Me, too, sir."

The conversation decidedly too intense, Chegwidden turned on a lighter note, "How's the hospital food treating you?"

"Well, they're certainly not winning any awards."

They both smiled, "You'll get through it, Marine," he glanced at his watch. "I better get going. Have a meeting at one with the SecNav. God knows what he wants now."

Mac nodded in understanding, "Thanks for stopping by, sir."

He moved across the room to the door and stopped, "Oh yeah, Harriet was asking about putting together a meal schedule for anyone interested at the office for you and Mic when they release you…Any thoughts?"

Mac affectionately rolled her eyes at typical Harriet behavior, "Please tell her thank you for the thought, but that won't be necessary."

"And how about visitors?"

"Harriet and Bud are welcome to stop by any time, but I'd really like to just keep it at close friends…"

The admiral winked, "I understand." He started out the door.

Mac suddenly felt panicked, "Uh, sir, wait!"

He poked his head back in the room, "Yes, Mac?"

She finally asked the question that had been on her mind all morning, "How is he, sir?"

AJ's brow wrinkled, "He who, Mac?"

Mac changed her mind, "Uh, nothing, sir. Have a good day."

"You too, Mac. Rest up." Thinking nothing of the strange ending to their exchange, Admiral Chegwidden passed an unfamiliar visitor approaching Mac's room on his way out.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This is a long one. Next chapter up soon.**

CHAPTER 5

Mac laid back and shut her eyes; the pain medication had been making her a little drowsy lately. Seeing the Admiral had been good and she appreciated him taking the time to come check in, but she was kicking herself for being so weak. She had almost showed she cared too much for Harm.

To Mac, that kind of weakness was intolerable. She was starting to believe that Renee was right about her being poison to him. Certainly, he had heard news of her condition through the grapevine by now, right? So obviously there was a reason he hadn't come to see her. Perhaps it was because he needed to detach himself from her venom.

Sighing, Mac realized that she really had been kind of cold and resentful ever since Renee stepped into the picture. She did not mean to be so detestable; it was like sometimes she just couldn't help herself. Mac was afraid of losing her best friend, her constant, and she hated that feeling. She didn't want some long-legged blonde swooping in and taking her place.

She wondered what type of person that made her. If her own best friend was steering clear of her, did that make her unlovable? After all, every relationship she'd ever had with a man ended badly.

Maybe Mic was her last chance. He loved her enough that he repeatedly asked her to be his wife. He was strong, dependable, and most importantly still there for her. Mac reached for the velvet box Mic had left her on the stand by her bed. Opening the little treasure, she gently placed the sparkling ring on her finger.

She admired its four karats and thought that maybe, it didn't matter if she didn't love him as much as he her. Mac was aging and she was determined not to end up alone like her mother. Mic was a decent man, even if he had a jealous side. That just meant he loved her, right?

As she pondered these thoughts, a hesitant knock sounded at the door. Startled, she removed the engagement ring, but not before Dr. Bryant got a good look at it. He eyed it as she returned it to the velvet box, but didn't comment.

Mark shifted nervously, waiting for Mac to greet him. She did, "Hello, Dr. Bryant."

He smiled in relief at her warmth and Mac observed how adorable his tousled curls were. It reminded her of another brunette bed-head. She pushed down thoughts of Harm.

He insisted, "Mark, please."

"Alright, Mark, why don't you have a seat?" she noticed the large manila envelope he was holding, "Are those for me?"

He looked down at his hands, seeming to just remember what he was holding, "Uh, yeah. I consulted my lawyer about our arrangement and he thought that it would be best to exchange insurance information. I'll pay most of your medical fees through that and, of course, I'll have to file an accident report for my car. If you would just give me some signatures, I'll be out of your hair."

Mark began to slide out the contents of the folder and hand them to Mac. "I'm a lawyer myself, Mark. And no offense, but you know what they say about signing documents you haven't read…"

He nodded emphatically, "Of course, review them for as long as you need," he removed a pen from his shirt pocket and began writing his phone number on one form. "Just give me a call when you're finished with them."

"Sure, thanks for taking care of this, Mark."

He rose from the plastic chair, "No problem, but it's me that should be thanking you, Miss Mackenzie."

"Actually," she corrected, "it's Colonel Mackenzie, but you can call me Mac."

Mark looked pleased with her offer and agreed, "Alright then, Mac, I'll be waiting for your call."

Mac beamed back at the doctor and winked, "I won't make you wait too long."

Dr. Bryant started toward the door, but when he reached it, he stopped to take one last look at her.

Mac took advantage of the opportunity, "Oh, and Mark? I know I haven't said it, but…thank you for saving my life."

He kicked at the floor shyly, "Well, your life wouldn't have needed saving if I had paid closer attention."

Mac would have responded reassuringly had he given her the chance, but he didn't. Instead, he turned and exited guiltily.

As their conversation sunk in, an alarming thought crossed the Marine's mind, _'Were we flirting?'_

Harm walked through his front door, groceries in hand. The first thing he noticed was the tasty aroma. He locked the door behind him and entered the kitchen to put the groceries away.

He was surprised to find Renee at the stove, obviously cooking and romantic music playing in the background. Harm stealthily maneuvered the heavy paper bags onto the counter. He noiselessly wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and whispered in her ear, "What have I done to deserve such an honor?"

This elicited a yelp from Renee, who had been concentrating very hard on the noodles she was boiling. After recognizing Harm's voice, she relaxed into his embrace.

"Can't a girlfriend do something special for her boyfriend without an inquiry?"  
Kissing her neck, he replied, "You never cook, Renee."

"Alright, you caught me. I have some unsettling news- Shit!"

The pasta began boiling over onto the stove and splashed onto her arm. Harm, with his quick reflexes, yanked her out of danger and turned down the stove.

With that handled, he turned back to Renee. She was cradling her burnt hand and he thought he saw a few tears escaping her eyes.

Harm kissed her forehead, "It's alright, babe. Come on, we better put that under some cold water."To his shock, she started sobbing as he led her to the faucet and turned on the cold water. "I-I just w-wanted to make you a r-romantic dinner and I c-couldn't even do that r-right. I'm sorry, Harm. I-I want to be p-perfect for you."

"Hey," he placed his hands on her shoulders and faced her towards him, "who says I want perfection? I like you just the way you are, Renee. I would never ask you to change for me or anyone else."

She looked up at him with puppy dog eyes and sniffled, "Y-you mean it?"

He hugged her tightly, "Of course I do, babe." He took her burned hand in his and examined it, placing a healing kiss on it. He checked on the pasta and informed her, "This is still salvageable if you want."

Renee nodded and let him take charge. A few minutes later, he put the finished product on the dining room table. She had already lit a candle and set their places. He put out the other dishes she had prepared as well.

After they sat down, Harm dug in and realized that everything was actually very good. "My compliments to the chef."

She played with the food on her fork, "Some chef I am."

"Oh, you did great, honey. Just gotta watch that heat." He winked and was glad to see that bring a smile to her face.

"Well, I'll try anything for you, Harm."

"So, why did you put all of this together? You said something about news?"

She took in a deep breath and worry lines creased Harm's face, "What is it, Renee? Are you okay?"

She met his concerned gaze, "It's not me, Harm. I'm so sorry to have to tell you this, but Mac-"

Harm feared the worst, "Oh God, she isn't-"

Realizing her mistake, Renee backtracked, "Oh, no, no! She's fine." Harm relaxed, "It's just that…well, Mic called for you yesterday, but you got home so late-"

"Did they find her? Where is she?"

"Harm, calm down. She's been in the hospital for the last week, but she'll be fine. Apparently, she was run over by a car last week-"

He couldn't even wait for Renee to finish a sentence; so many things were running through his mind. She was found; she was going to be alright; his Mac had been hurt and he hadn't been there. "Which hospital? I have to go see her-"

He was already going to put on his jacket when Renee stopped him in a soft voice, "Harm, that's just it. She doesn't want to see you."

Jacket midway on, Harm froze, "What?"

Renee crossed the distance between them and laid her hand against his arm, "I'm so sorry, Harm. I know how painful this is; she's your best friend. But Mic specifically said to tell you that she was okay, but not to visit."

Harm shook his head, trying to clear his mind, "That doesn't sound like Mac."

Her voice was soothing as she rubbed his arm, "I don't understand it, either, but it won't do anyone any good to go against her wishes. Let her rest up and heal and then try to talk to her."

Harm nodded, letting Renee remove his coat. This time, she led him into the bedroom and reassured him that everything would turn out fine.

The lies rolled so easily off of Renee's well-meaning tongue that Harm never suspected his loving girlfriend of deception. Mic had never called to ward Harm off; Renee had simply heard the story when she'd been in the office yesterday. She had forgotten Harm was in court all day, which explained why he had not been privy to these rumors. Renee felt that she had to do something after Mac's call or she would lose him. She hoped the lies would hold or they would be done for sure.


End file.
